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Three Shark Bites Reported In Two Hour Span At Florida Beach

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 04:26 PST, Sep 24, 2016

New Smyrna Beach lived up to its reputation as the “Shark Attack Capitol” of the world this past week, as three different surfers were bitten by the aquatic predators in a surprisingly short span of just over two hours.

The trio of incidents took place last Sunday, as Time noted, beginning around 10:45 a.m. A 43-year-old man from Longwood was surfing just south of a jetty when a shark bit into his lower leg, near his ankle, leaving a deep cut. The bite was just the first of the day, however, and was quickly followed by a strike on another beachgoer 15 minutes later. Around 11 a.m., a 36-year-old man from Miami was surfing in the same area when he was bitten on both hands.

Neither of those incidents proved to be life threatening, yet both men suffered severe lacerations as a consequence of their independent run-ins with a shark. The second victim was expected to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair his injuries, according to a post he published on Facebook, along with photos of paramedics treating his injuries.

Following a short lull in the action, a third shark bite was reported just before 1 p.m., when a 16-year-old boy from New Smyrna Beach was injured while surfing. The shark bit into his inner thigh, yet it left only a minor laceration. Unlike the two earlier incidents, his injuries were not severe enough to warrant treatment at a medical facility.

While New Smyrna Beach has long had a reputation as an epicenter of shark-related incidents, September is also known as the most common month for bites. During this time of the year, a “run” of mullet is in full force, leading to an increase in activity among local predatory fish. As Doug Watson, an experienced surfer from Sanford, points out, shark bites are hardly surprising in the region over the fall months.

“So, there’s multiple sharks and tarpon and different sport fish that are feeding on the mullet run. So, yeah, you run into them. You see them.”

Watson’s point was echoed by George Burgess, who curates the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Speaking with Grind TV about a recent encounter between a kayaker and an aggressive blacktip shark, Burgess referenced the weekend’s events in New Smyrna Beach (as well as a fourth shark bite, which took place in a neighboring county) as evidence of the risks presented to beachgoers during this season.

“At this time of year the mullet ‘run’ is underway with thousands upon thousands of these estuarine/lagoonal species departing the shallows through inlets to mass up along the beaches prior to moving offshore to spawn. Sharks, tarpons, jacks, barracudas, porpoises and other larger predators take turns on this rich resource. Surfers – and yes, kayakers – take a risk when sharing these waters during the annual mullet run. We had four bites this past Sunday in Volusia and Brevard counties, all on surfers.”

Last year represented an all-time high for unprovoked shark incidents worldwide, with 98 such interactions documented. Only six fatalities were reported, however, which represents a much lower statistical rate than in the previous record-setting year. Florida had the most unprovoked attacks in the United States and in the world in 2015, while Volusia and Brevard counties led the way in-state. Burgess’ report cited the “rich nature” of the area’s marine fauna, as well as high rates of recreational aquatic utilization, as driving factors behind Florida’s (and specifically, New Smyrna Beach’s) reputation as the globe’s “Shark Attack Capitol.”

[Featured Image By Kawika Holbrook/ Flickr | Cropped and Resized | CC BY-SA 2.0]

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